CHICAGO (January 21, 2005) - U.S. Soccer, the not-for-profit national governing body for soccer in the United States, announced Friday evening that the U.S. Men's National Team Players Association (USMNTPA) had accepted its no-strike, no-lockout provision through the end of 2005.

With acceptance of the proposal, U.S. Soccer will begin calling players from the U.S. Men's National Team into training camp to prepare for the team's opening match in the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying scheduled for February 9 in Trinidad. As part of the agreement, U.S. Soccer will begin compensating each player on a per-game basis commensurate with the Federation's offer currently on the table and comparable to a 38 percent increase in earnings.

In announcing the acceptance of its latest proposal, U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia said: "We're very pleased the union has accepted our latest proposal and given us the assurance that there will be no strikes for any U.S. Soccer activity through the duration of the year. This certainty allows us to confidently begin calling players into camp and to continue preparing for our participation in the final round of World Cup qualifying play. This is a clear win for both the fans and the sport of soccer in the U.S.

"We certainly believe that moving forward in this manner can help the two parties reach a collective bargaining agreement that is not only good for the long-term growth of the sport in the U.S., but is also good for our National Team players and our millions of members."

Details on the camp will be announced as they become available.

For additional information on the on-going labor negotiations, click here.